Article dispenser with selection from plural rotatable stacks



April 20, 1965 v A. B. MOYER ETAL ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH SELECTION FROMPLURAL ROTATABLE STACKS Filed April 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 20,1965 A. B. MoYER ETAL ARTICLE DISPENSER WITH SELECTION FROM PLURALROTATABLE STACKS Filed April 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS e.Moyen` HowARo DIESEL enc/a ARTHUR ATTORNEYS y 3,179,289 Patented Apr.20, 1965 Our invention relates to improvements in vendingl machines andthe object of the invention is to provide a simple and positive packagevending mechanism wherein merchandise packages are stacked within-aplurality of Vertical open bottomed compartments peripherally arrangedaround and supported by a rotatable column, rotation of the columnsuccessively bringing the compartments into register with a packagerelease element actuatable by a customer; actuation of the elementpermitting the lowermost package in the registering compartment to fallthrough the open bottom of the compartment for delivery from themachine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a versatile vendingmechanism capable ot dispensing a variety of merchandise packages, eachvariety group of packages being stacked in its own compartment andvisible to a customer through a window in the compartment, the packagerelease element being so arranged to permit the customer, at will, torelease a package from any desired compartment. Y

With the foregoing and other objects in view, as shall become apparentas the specitication proceeds, our invention consists of a vendingmachine constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularlydescribed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FlG. lis a perspective view of the machine, partly broken away.

FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through `theI permittingactuation of the machine, as such mechanisms are well known andare notpertinent to the invention.

The unit 2 of the machine in which packages are contained is mountedupon and rotatable about a vertical shaft 3 extending upwardly from abase 4. In the form illustrated the unit 2 is divided into six similarvertical compartments 5 open in their tops and bottoms and of hexagonalcross-sectional shape, each compartment having a window 6 in one of itsexposed faces. is positioned centrally of the central hexagonal sleeve 7formed by the compartments 5. The sleeve contains several combinedrotary-thrust ball bearings 8 having their outer rings attachedto thesleeve and their inner rings attached to the shaft 3 and whereby theunit is rotatable upon and supported by the shaft.

The vending machine mechanism is contained withinV a housing 9 ofsuitable shape, the portion of the housing containing the unit 2 beingformed with several windows 16* arranged to register with the windows 6in the unit, as theunit is rotated, to enable a customer to view themerchandise packages in the various compartments. .The portion of thehousing containing the unit is open at its The Shaft 3 V United StatesPatent Olilce4 top and normally sealed by a removable lid 12, removal ofthe lid permitting merchandise packages to be dropped into and stackedwithin the compartments 5. p

For support of the stacks of merchandise packages the lower portion ofthe outer face 13 of each compartment carries a horizontally extendingtrigger arm 14 pivotally mounted intermediately of its length upon theface 13, the inner end of the arm being spring urged to project `vintothe compartment through a horizontal slot 15 in its face 13 and sosupport the lowermost package 16 of a stack of similar packages in thecompartment.

The drawings illustrate the compartments 5 loaded with stacks ofpackages of various shapes to differentiate the merchandise, but in eachshape it will be noted that the bottom ofeach package is of greater areathan its top,

whereby when the packages are stacked the bottoms of the packagesprotrude outwardly of the tops of the pack- `ages upon which they rest.

For release of the lowermost package of a stack whereby it dropsdownwardly through the open bottom 17 of its compartment, as shown inFIG. 3, the stack support-1` ing trigger arm 14 of` the compartment ismomentarily iiicked outwardly against'the urge of its spring todisengage from the bottom of the lowermost package, thus Y permittingthe stack to drop, the lowermost package protruding through the bottomof the chamber and resting upon a plate 18 and at which ,time furtherrotation of the unit 2 permits the4 flicked trigger arm to`swing.in

package release the housing 9 carried a manually oper-l able vendingelement, movement of which is preferably controlled by a suitable coinactuated mechanism, not shown. able trip lever 19 carried by the housing9 and having its inner end arranged to move into the path of rotation ofthepackage release trigger arms 14 upon rotation of the unit 2. Uponsetting the lever 19 and rotating of the unit 2, the lever engages andflicks the lirst approaching trigger arm 14 to release the lowermostpackage supported by the arm, the dropped package partly protrudingthrough the open bottom of its compartment to rest upon the stationaryreceiving plate 1S. Uponcontinued rotation of the unit the partlyprotruding package is pushed unto a downwardly inclined somewhatresilient track 2t) upon which it slides, downwardly to clear the bottomof the compartment and come to rest upon a platform 2,1

supported by the lower end ofthe track rails and from` where it may beremoved by the customer. In case the compartmentwas empty and no packagedelivered, coin p controlled retraction of theV trip lever 19 from thepath of rotation of the trigger arms 14 is restrained by a weightactuated switch 22 underneath the platform 21, which-V when not actuatedby the weight of a delivered package deflecting the free end of thetrack and platform 21 down- Wardly electrically restrains the lever 19from returning In the drawings, such element comprises a swingl 3y l nto the inoperative position, thus permitting the lever to trigger the'next approaching trigger arm 14.

To meet situations where it is desirable to vend a variety ofmerchandise packages, such as the packages `A, B, C and D, FIG. 1, froma single machine and 'which the lever 19 projects from the housing 9 isformed with a plurality of vertically spaced slots 24 in one of itsvertical edges and for reception of the outer end of the swingable triplever, each slot being in register with the path of rotation of one ofthe stepped trigger arms 1 4. It will thus be appreciated that insetting the trip lever 19 for delivery of a package from a particularstack it is only necessary to place the lever in the correct slot 24,when it will be ata height only to engage the trigger arm releasing thepackage required.

`Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described, various changes in form and relative arrangement of partsmay be made without departing from the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. An article dispenser comprising a unit rotatable about a verticalaxis and comprising a plurality of peripherally arranged open bottomedYcompartments disposed Ywith their longitudinal axes generally parallelto the said vertical Aaxis and spaced substantially equidistantlytherefrom, each compartment being adapted to contain a plurality ofpackages for vending stacked one upon the other therein, the packagesbeing so arranged that at least `a portion ofthe bottoms of the stackedpackages project beyond the tops of the corresponding packages uponwhich they rest, Va like plurality of package supporting members eachmounted in relation to a corresponding 'compartment and movable betweena package supporting position in which a projecting portion of thebottom of the lowermost package in the compartment rests thereon, and anon-supporting position in which it 'is retracted from engagement withthe said lowermost package projecting bottom portion, the members movingin a Vcommon circular path upon rotation of the cornpartments about thevertical axis, a package releasing element movable between Vanon-releasing position and a releasingY position, the element when inthe releasing position being positioned in the path of rotation of thepackage supporting members to momentarily engage one of the members toretract such member from support of the lowermost package in thecorresponding stack,

' whereby the non-supporting package drops through the open bottom ofthe stack compartment in delivery from the machine', disengagement ofthe package releasing element from the package supporting memberpermitting the package supporting member to advance to position forsupport of the package previously resting upon the aforesaid packagedelivered from the machine.

a 2. A dispensing machine as defined in claim 1, where- 1n the packagesupporting members are swingable arms carried by the lower portions ofthe compartments, swingable about an axis parallel to the said verticalaxis and sprlng urged into their advanced package supporting positions,the package releasing element engaging and swinging the packagesupportingv members to retracted position against the urge of theirsprings.

. 3. A dispensing machine as defined in claim 1, where- 1n the packagereleasing element is a swingable lever pivotally mounted intermediatelyof its length about a pivot axis parallel to the said vertical axis, oneend of the lever being swingable into said releasing position in whichit is in the path of rotation of the package supporting members toengage and actuate the members.

4. A dispensing machine as defined in claim l, wherein the packagereleasing element is a swingable lever pivotally mounted intermediatelyof its length about an axis parallel to the said Vertical axis, one endof the lever being swingable into said releasing position in which it isin the path of rotation of the package supporting members to engage andactuate the members,

Aand wherein the package supporting members are swingable arms swingableabout axes parallel to the said vertical axis, carried by the 'lowerportions of thecompartments and spring urged into'their advanced packagesupporting positions, the-manually actuatable package releasing elementengaging and swinging the package supporting members to retractedposition against the urge of their springs.

5. A dispensing machine as dened in claim l, wherein several of thepackage supporting members are stepped in height in relation to oneanother whereby each member rotates in its own plane, the packagereleasing element being adjustable in height from one plane to anotherto engage a selected member.

6. A dispensing machine as defined in claim l, wherein the packagereleasing element is a swingable lever pivotally mounted intermediatelyof its length about a pivot axis parallel to the said vertical axis, oneend of the lever being swingable into the said releasing position inwhich it is in the path `of rotation of the package supporting membersto engage and actuate the members, and wherein several of the packagesupporting members are stepped 'in height in relation to one anotherwhereby each member rotates in its own plane,` the package releasingelement being adjustable in height from one plane to another to engage aselected member.

7. An article dispenser comprising a unit rotatable about a verticalaxis and comprising a' plurality of peripheral arranged open bottomedcompartments disposed with the longitudinal axes generally parallel tothe said vertical axis and spaced substantially equidistantly therefrom,each compartment being adapted to contain a plurality of packages forvending stacked one upon the other therein, the packages being soarranged that at least a portion of the bottoms of the stacked packagesproject beyond the tops of the corresponding packages upon which theyrest, a like plurality of package supporting members each mounted inrelation to a corresponding compartment and movable between a packagesupporting position in which a projecting portion of the bottom of thelowermost package in the compartment rests thereon, and a non-supportingposition in which it is retracted from engagement with the saidlowermost package projecting bottom portion, the members moving in acommon circular path upon rotation of the compartments about thevertical axis, electrically operated means for rotating the said unit, apackage releasing element positioned in the-path of rotation of thepackage supporting members to momentarily engage one of the members toretract such member from support of the lowermost package in thecorresponding stack, whereby the non-supporting package drops throughthe open bottom of the stack compartment in delivery from the machine,disengagement of the package releasing element from the packagesupporting member permitting the package supporting member to advance toposition for support of the package previously resting upon theaforesaid package delivered from the machine, a movable plate disposedbeneath the unit to receive the delivered package, and an electricswitch controlled by movement of the plate under receipt thereon of thedelivered package to cause operation of the said means for rotation ofthe rotatable unit until a package is delivered onto the movable plate.

8. A dispensing machine as dened in claim 7, wherein retraction of apackage supporting member from underneath the lowermost package of astack of packages permits the stack to drop, a stationary plate spacedaway v from the bottom of lthe compartment in which the stack iscontained, the lowermost package of the dropped stack of packages partlydropping out of the compartment to rest upon the plate, a downwardlyinclined track extending from the said stationary plate to the saidmovable plate for reception of the lowermost package for delivery fromthe machine, rotation of the unit and said compartment pushing saidpackage off said plate unto 10 the track and down on to the said movableplate.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS I. DEMBO,Primary Examiner.

HADD S. LANE, Examiner.

1. AN ARTICLE DISPENSER COMPRISING A UNIT ROTATABLE ABOUT A VERTICALAXIS AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY ARRANGED OPEN BOTTOMEDCOMPARTMENTS DISPOSED WITH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES GENERALLY PARALLEL TOTHE SAID VERTICAL AXIS AND SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIDISTANTLY THEREFROM,EACH COMPARTMENT BEING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A PLURALITY OF PACKAGES FORVENDING STACKED ONE UPON THE OTHER THEREIN, THE PACKAGES BEING SOARRANGED THAT AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BOTTOMS OF THE STACKED PACKAGESPROJECT BEYOND THE TOPS OF THE CORRESPONDING PACKAGES UPON WHICH THEYREST, A LIKE PLURALITY OF PACKAGE SUPPORTING MEMBERS EACH MOUNTED INRELATION TO A CORRESPONDING COMPARTMENT AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A PACKAGESUPPORTING POSITION IN WHICH A PROJECTING PORTION OF THE BOTTOM OF THELOWERMOST PACKAGE IN THE COMPARTMENT RESTS THEREON, AND A NON-SUPPORTINGPOSITION IN WHICH IT IS RETRACTED FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SAIDLOWERMOST PACKAGE PROJECTING BOTTOM PORTION, THE MEMBERS MOVING IN ACOMMON CIRCULAR PATH UPON ROTATION OF THE COMPARTMENTS ABOUT THEVERTICAL AXIS, A PACKAGE RELEASING ELEMENT MOVABLE BETWEEN ANON-RELEASING POSITION AND A RELEASING POSITION, THE ELEMENT WHEN IN THERELEASING